An intelligent colorimetric sensing platform integrated with in situ immunomagnetic separation function was developed for ultrasensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157: H7 (E. coli O157: H7) in food. Captured antibody modified magnetic nanoparticles (cMNPs) and detection antibody/horseradish peroxidase (HRP) co-functionalized AuNPs (dHAuNPs) were firstly synthesized for targeted enrichment and colorimetric assay of E. coli O157: H7, in which remarkable signal amplification was realized by loading large amounts of HRP on the surface of AuNPs. Coupling with the optical collimation attachments and embedded magnetic separation module, a highly integrated optical device was constructed, by which in situ magnetic separation and high-quality imaging of 96-well microplates containing E. coli O157: H7 was achieved with a smartphone. The concentration of E. coli O157: H7 could be achieved in one-step by performing digital image colorimetric analysis of the obtained image with a custom-designed app. This biosensor possesses high sensitivity (1.63 CFU/mL), short detecting time (3 h), and good anti-interference performance even in real-sample testing. Overall, the developed method is expected to be a novel field detection platform for foodborne pathogens in water and food as well as for the diagnosis of infections due to its portability, ease of operation, and high feasibility.

The enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood plays a crucial role in the early diagnosis, recurrence monitoring, and prognosis assessment of cancer patients. There is a compelling need to develop an efficient technique for the capture and identification of these rare CTCs. However, the exclusive reliance on a single criterion, such as the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) antibody or aptamer, for the specific recognition of epithelial CTCs is not universally suitable for clinical applications, as it usually falls short in identifying EpCAM-negative CTCs. To address this limitation, we propose a straightforward and cost-effective method involving triplex fluorescently labelled aptamers (FAM-EpCAM, Cy5-PTK7, and Texas Red-CSV) to modify Fe3O4-loaded dendritic SiO2 nanocomposite (dmSiO2@Fe3O4/Apt). This multi-recognition-based strategy not only enhanced the efficiency in capturing heterogeneous CTCs, but also facilitated the rapid and accurate identification of CTCs. The capture efficiency of heterogenous CTCs reached up to 93.33%, with a detection limit as low as 5 cells/mL. Notably, the developed dmSiO2@Fe3O4/Apt nanoprobe enabled the swift identification of captured cells in just 30 min, relying solely on the fluorescently modified aptamers, which reduced the identification time by approximately 90% compared with the conventional immunocytochemistry (ICC) technique. Finally, these nanoprobe characteristics were validated using blood samples from patients with various types of cancers.

Two patients with acute gastroenteritis tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and both strains carried the Shiga toxin 2 encoding gene. Since routine culture using CHROMagar STEC failed to recover these isolates, immunomagnetic separation (IMS) targeting the top six non-O157:H7 serotypes was used for isolate recovery. After two subsequent IMS runs, the STEC strains were isolated from trypticase soy broth with and without overnight enrichment for runs 1 and 2, respectively. Serotyping based on whole-genome sequencing revealed that both patients carried the strain O166:H15 STEC with the stx2 gene. Hence, the magnetic beads used in IMS appeared to have cross-reactivity with other E. coli serotypes. When the STEC isolates from both stools were cultured on CHROMagar STEC and sheep blood agar (BAP), two distinct colony sizes were apparent after overnight incubation. The small and large colonies were picked and separately cultured on both media, and colony growth was observed for 2 weeks at room temperature after an initial overnight incubation at 37°C. After 1 week, the colonies showed concentric ring structures with a darker center and a lighter surrounding on CHROMagar STEC and a \"fried egg\"-resembling structure with a raised circular center and a flat surrounding on BAP. Both colony types remained morphologically different on CHROMagar STEC throughout the 15 days. However, on BAP, their appearance was comparable by day 7.
OBJECTIVE: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections can lead to severe complications such as bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), especially in young children and the elderly. Strains that carry the shiga toxin 2 gene (stx2), such as O157:H7, have been mostly linked with severe disease outcomes. In recent years, outbreaks caused by non-O157:H7 strains have increased. E. coli O166:H15 has been previously reported causing a gastroenteritis outbreak in 1996 as a non-STEC strain, however the O166:H15 serotype we recovered carried the stx2 gene. It was particularly challenging to isolate this strain from stools by culture. Consequently, we tested immunomagnetic separation for the STEC recovery, which was a novel approach on clinical stools. Virulence genes were included for the characterization of these isolates.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the thriving monoclonal antibody (mAb) industry due to the wide utilization of mAbs in clinical therapies. Robust and accurate bioanalytical methods are required to enable fast quantification of mAbs in biological matrices, especially in the context of pharmacokinetics (PKs)/pharmacodynamics (PDs) and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) studies. In this investigation, we presented a novel immuno-magnetic capture coupled with a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method designed for the quantification of immunoglobulin G-kappa-based mAbs in biological fluids. The immunoaffinity absorbent for mAb drug purification was meticulously crafted by immobilizing protein L onto monosize, magnetic poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (m-pGMA) beads, synthesized through dispersion polymerization. The microspheres were acquired with an average size of 1.6 μm, and the optimal binding of mAbs from the aqueous mAb solution was determined to be 45.82 mg g-1. The quantification of mAbs in 10 μL serum samples was achieved through affinity purification using m-pGMA@protein L beads (employing rituximab as an internal standard (IS)), on-bead reduction, and rapid tryptic digestion. Remarkably, the entire process, taking less than 2.5 hours, held significant potential for simplifying pretreatment procedures and minimizing analytical time. Furthermore, the developed method underwent validation in accordance with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidelines. The assay demonstrated commendable linearity within the 2-400 μg mL-1 range for both daratumumab and pembrolizumab. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation fell within the range of 0.7% to 13.4%, meeting established acceptance criteria. Other validation parameters also conformed to regulatory standards. Ultimately, the efficacy of the method was substantiated in a pharmacokinetic study following a single-dose intravenous administration to mice, underscoring its applicability and reliability in real-world scenarios.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated directly from whole blood opens new perspectives for cancer monitoring and the development of personalized treatments. However, due to their rarity among the multitude of blood cells, it remains a challenge to recover them alive with high level of purity, i.e., with few remaining white blood cells, and in a time frame compatible with the clinical context. Microfluidic chips have emerged as promising tools to address these challenges. We propose a two-step workflow including a pre-enrichment step, performed by a size-based pre-enrichment system, and a purification step, performed by an immunomagnetic chip. Here, we describe the protocol for the fabrication of the immunomagnetic microchip, the preparation of the sample, and the procedure for injection into the microchip allowing the sorting of the CTCs.

Detecting progesterone (P4) concentration in cow serum is essential for monitoring the pregnancy progress after fertilization and is significant for the dairy farming industry and veterinary medicine. This study reports enzyme-free immunomagnetic beads (IMBs)-based competitive immunoassay for detecting P4 by P4-bovine serum albumin (BSA)-modified biosensors. The anti-P4 antibody-conjugated IMBs serve as collectors to capture P4 in undiluted serum samples to prevent the biosensor surface from biosample contamination and as insulated labels to report the electron-transfer resistance signal of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement. The IMBs and P4-containing samples were mixed for 15-30 min, capable of obtaining stable P4@IMB complexes. The 0.2-kGauss pulsed magnetic field (PMF) of the 20-s pulse width and 20-s relaxation time applied for 5 min can shorten the immunoreaction time between the P4@IMBs and the P4-BSA-modified biosensor and reduce the IMB\'s nonspecific adsorption on the biosensor surface. This competitive immunoassay\'s cut-off value and detection limit were 7.71 ng/mL and 7.33 ng/mL, respectively, which is lower than the serum\'s P4 plateau concentration (over 8 ng/mL) of dairy cows on days 6-16 of estrus cycles and that in pregnancy. The IMB-based immunoassay combining the PMF attraction and the label-free EIS measurement exhibits promising potential for rapidly detecting P4 in undiluted serum.

It is challenging to prepare sample pretreatment materials with simple use, strong selectivity and satisfactory enrichment performance. In this study, the antibody (3D4) that can specifically recognize zearalenone (ZEN) and its metabolites was immobilized on the surface of gold-coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (GMN) by streptavidin (SA)-biotin interaction using GMN as the substrate and our designed four-arm PEG derivative (HS-4ARMPEG10K-(CM)3) as the linker. The immunomagnetic nanoparticles (GMN-4ARMPEG10K-SA-3D4) prepared by this strategy can achieve rapid enrichment (only 5 min) of analytes directly in the matrix, and higher enrichment capacity compared with the previous immunomagnetic particles. The sensitive and accurate analysis of ZEN and its metabolites can be achieved coupled with HPLC-MS/MS. The LODs and LOQs were 0.02-0.05 μg/kg and 0.05-0.10 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries were 84.13%-112.67%, and the RSDs were 1.09%-9.39%. The method can provide a powerful tool for highly sensitive and rapid monitoring of mycotoxins in complex matrices due to its\' strong selectivity and resistance to matrix interference.

OBJECTIVE: Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) contain a population of stem cells with a broad range of differentiation potentials, as well as more lineage-committed progenitors. Such heterogeneity is a significant obstacle to experimental and clinical applications. The aim of this study is to isolate and characterize a homogenous neuronal progenitor cell population from human DPSCs.
METHODS: Polysialylated-neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM+) neural progenitors were isolated from the dental pulp of three independent donors using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) technology. Immunofluorescent staining with a panel of neural and non-neural markers was used to characterize the magnetically isolated PSA-NCAM+ fraction. PSA-NCAM+ cells were then cultured in Neurobasal A supplemented with neurotrophic factors: dibutyryl cyclic-AMP, neurotrophin-3, B27 and N2 supplements to induce neuronal differentiation. Both PSA-NCAM+ and differentiated PSA-NCAM+ cells were used in Ca2+ imaging studies to assess the functionality of P2X3 receptors as well as membrane depolarization.
RESULTS: PSA-NCAM+ neural progenitors were isolated from a heterogeneous population of hDPSCs using magnetic-activated cell sorting and anti-PSA-NCAM MicroBeads. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that immunomagnetic sorting significantly increased the purity of PSA-NCAM+ cells. Immunofluorescent staining revealed expression of pan-neuronal and mature neuronal markers, PGP9.5 and MAP2, respectively, as well as weak expression of the mature sensory markers, peripherin and islet1. ATP-induced response was mediated predominately by P2X3 receptors in both undifferentiated and differentiated cells, with a greater magnitude observed in the latter. In addition, membrane depolarizations were also detected in cells before and after differentiation when loaded with fast-voltage-responding fluorescent molecule, FluoVolt™ in response to potassium chloride. Interestingly, only differentiated PSA-NCAM+ cells were capable of spontaneous membrane oscillations.
CONCLUSIONS: In summary, DPSCs contain a population of neuronal progenitors with enhanced neural differentiation and functional neural-like properties that can be effectively isolated with magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS).

The early detection of procalcitonin (PCT) is crucial for diagnosing bacterial infections due to its high sensitivity and specificity. While colloidal gold colorimetric and immune-chemiluminescence methods are commonly employed in clinical detection, the former lacks sensitivity, and the latter faces challenges with a brief luminescence process and an elevated background. Here, we introduce a novel approach for the quantitative analysis of PCT using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), leveraging the enhanced properties of metal nanoparticles. Simultaneously, we employed a magnetic nanoparticle coating and surface biofunctionalization modification to immobilize PCT-trapping antibodies, creating the required immune substrates. The resulting magnetic nanoparticles and antibody complexes, acting as carriers and recognition units, exhibited superparamagnetism and the specific recognition of biomarkers. Then, this complex efficiently underwent magnetic separation with an applied magnetic field, streamlining the cumbersome steps of traditional ELISA and significantly reducing the detection time. In conclusion, the exploration of immunomagnetic bead detection technology based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy holds crucial practical significance for the sensitive detection of PCT.

OBJECTIVE: The isolation of neutrophils and subsequent detection of anti-human neutrophil antigens (HNA) antibodies are crucial in clinical medicine for the diagnosis of autoimmune neutropenia, neonatal alloimmune neutropenia (NAIN) and transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). This study reports two cases of maternal anti-Fc-gamma-receptor-IIIb (FcγRIIIb) isoimmunization without NAIN symptoms and compares the efficiency of immunomagnetic negative selection (IMNS) with traditional dextran/Ficoll for neutrophil isolation in HNA serological assays.
METHODS: Investigating two cases of maternal anti-FcγRIIIb isoimmunization, neutrophils from three donors were isolated from 8 mL of whole blood using IMNS and dextran/Ficoll. Serological assays included the granulocyte agglutination and immunofluorescence test, monoclonal antibody immobilization of granulocyte antigens and the LABScreen Multi (One Lambda). IMNS and dextran/Ficoll were compared in terms of cell yield, viability, time, cost and purity.
RESULTS: Maternal anti-FcγRIIIb isoantibodies with FCGR3B gene deletion were detected in both cases. Newborns and fathers exhibited specific gene combinations: FCGR3B*02/FCGR3B*02 (Case 1) and FCGR3B*02/FCGR3B*03 (Case 2). IMNS outperformed dextran/Ficoll, yielding four times more neutrophils (average neutrophil counts: 18.5 × 103/μL vs. 4.5 × 103/μL), efficiently removing non-neutrophil cells and reducing processing time (30-40 min vs. 70-90 min), although it incurred a higher cost (2.7 times).
CONCLUSIONS: Two cases of maternal anti-FcγRIIIb isoantibodies, unrelated to NAIN, were identified. Although neutropenia has not been described in these cases, we emphasize the importance of identifying asymptomatic cases with the potential for severe neutropenia. Additionally, IMNS is introduced as a rapid, high-yield, high-purity neutrophil isolation technique, beneficial for serological assays detecting anti-HNA antibodies.